The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-07-20
PRAYING FOR RAIN.
A Burning Drought-Wcstern Farm.
ers Holding Prayer Meetings.


A burning drought has prevailed foi
weeks in Illinois and Wisconsin, the scorch.
ing heat drying up the streams and parching
the crops, causing much suffering to cattle
and great pecuniary loss. Public prayer
meetings were held in many places by the
stricken farmers. A Cambridge ull.) dis
patch gives details as follows:
For ten days the fences along the country
roads and the dead walls of the village have
been plaSterei with big red bills calling for
public prayers for rain. One of there meet
ings was held in the Congregational, Church
on Tuesday last. it was nearly noon
before the last farmer tied his
horse in the shed back of the chur|h and
joined the supplicants. Nearly all the business
houses in the city were closed. The hot sun
strained through the open windows aud made
the room uncomfortable. After q short ad-
dress, in which the Rev. DR.. Eldridge spoke
of the object of the meeting tie horny
handed and tanned men fell upon their knees
while the pastor offered up most pitifu!
prayer.
"Rain did not come, however, andi the
atmosphere tonight is suffocating. Fires
are burning in the woods, and pastures for
miles around are scorched. The farmers
have lost many cattle in these fires.
The drinking water in many towns
has been polluted and the dry
decaying fish The effect of the drought in
Mclean county is rather strange. In former
years. when rain fell copiously during April
and May, rattlcSnakeS were seldom found.
This year, however, the meadows and quarries
are swarming with the reptiles. While cut
ting grain the other day three i'm
mense rattleSnakes became entwined in the
wheels of a reaper, and one was hurled into
the lap of q farmer. The latter dispatched
the reptile with milestone, and continued
his work. Chinch bugs and all the pests of
the garden are more numerous than ever be-
fore"
A Chicago despatch says: ''The drought in
the northern and central tiers Of counties of
! Illinois is not any more serious than it is in
! Wisconsin. The Badger State is literally
burning up. Fruit and crops are
water is so scarce that the authori-
| ties have forbidden the sprinkling of the
streets. The great numbering towns
are as dry as 4 bone, and it would take a
| spark and high gale of wind only to repeat
the wild scenes when the Peshtigo fires of
| 1871 drove thousands of people into the lakes
| to their necks All the streets of these lun-
| bering towns are built of corduroy and saw
dust. In a protracted drought like the
| present the beds of these roads become
| as fine and as combustible as powde:
| If this State is not visited by rain
within the next ten days the conflugration at
Marshfield will be repeated many times.
Above Sheboygan it is no uncommon sight
these days to see hundreds of wild animals
cooling themselves in the waters of the lake.
Mark Fishback, of Menasna, declares that he
saw at least hundred deer standing in the
water forty miles below Two Rivers.
| "RenortS from Northwestern Iowa say that
the drought has been broken by refreshing
showers For weeks previous to the storm
masses were said in the German Catholic
Church of Carroll, and prayers were offered
up in all the places of worship. When the
! first rain fell all the bells in the city were
rung. and at night the stores were illuminated
and there were displays of pyrotechnics.'